Patna police investigating kidnaping of dead man

Believe or not, the Patna police are investigating a kidnapping case against a dead person.

The man in question, Haider Ali, is a slain criminal. He was made an accused in the kidnapping of Sunil Kumar from SK Puri police station area of the State Capital in 2004.

What is more interesting is that a police constable, Md Anwar had allegedly played an important role in the abduction of Kumar and is absconding in the case. On January 10 this year, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Patna issued a production warrant against Anwar, who is currently posted in Jehanabad district.

Though Ali, said to be leader of the gang, was killed in an encounter with the Motihari police near Paharpur in 2005, investigation against him is still continuing in the case. The victim’s brother Anil Kumar had lodged the First Information Report (number 47/04) with the SK Puri police station in this connection.

Even after three years of the incident, the victim has not been recovered by the police. Kumar, an engineer by profession, was abducted while returning to home from B D Evening College on March 16, 2004.

The police, however, submitted chargesheet against Badru Doza alias Masum, Shaukat Mian, Chanchan Kumar Gupta and others on April 10, holding them responsible for the kidnapping.

The case diary submitted to the court by the investigating officer on April 9, disclosed that the abductors had realised over Rs 3 lakh from the victim’s father Awadh Patel on the pretext of releasing his son. While Ramesh Paswan and Chanchan took Rs 1 lakh each, Rahmat Mian took Rs 90,000 as ransom, the diary revealed.

While the police claimed that all the accused are absconding, Ramesh, Gulab and Shaukat recently petitioned the court in Patna, seeking anticipatory bail in the case. The district judge, however, rejected their bail applications on the plea that the victim had not yet been recovered.

Sources said the police constable Anwar was posted at Motihari at the time of the incident. East Champaran Superintendent of Police, SK Jha, confirmed that Anwar was transferred to Jehanabad from Motihari last year. Meanwhile, Patna police have asked their counterparts in Jehanabad to help them nab the absconding constable.

Another member of the gang Kamruddin, against whom the police investigation is still continuing, is reportedly lodged in a Maharashtra jail facing charges under TADA.